Hong Kong authorities struggling with proposed Formula E track layout

The FIA and authorities in Hong Kong haven’t reached an agreement yet to host the Formula E race through the streets of the Central district in November 2014. According to the South China Morning Post some of the parties involved have raised objections to one part of the track, which is close to governmental buildings.

This particular section of the track is near the exit of a governmental complex and however the race is being held during the weekend, not all parties could agree. The length of the track is therefore shortened from 2.6 kilometres to 2.1 kilometres and this version will be studied next month.

“Once the technical details have been worked out with the route – for instance, we cannot have a route shorter than two kilometres and the road has to be 10 metres wide with only 10 per cent of it allowed to be less than that width, with seven metres being the minimum – we can then go full steam ahead with the other aspects of the race,” said Lawrence Yu Kam-kee, president of the Automobile Association, which is in charge of organising the Hong Kong leg of the race. “The government has been very helpful and accommodating, and I hope that with these minor alterations to the race route, the FIA will give us the green light.”

The Hong Kong race is the third leg on the provisional calendar after Beijing and Putrajaya (Malaysia) and is likely to be organised on 8 November 2014. Earlier London was set back as closing race instead of opening leg, possibly due to the same kind of governmental issues.

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